The Australian Army has formally identified the remains of Lieutenant Hercules William Crawford, who went missing in action on August 8, 1942, during the Kokoda Campaign in Papua New Guinea. His identification marks the resolution for the final unaccounted-for Anzac soldier from that pivotal World War II engagement.
Lieutenant Crawford, 34, was part of the 39th Battalion, among the first Australian soldiers to engage Japanese forces on the Kokoda Track. He was last seen injured and staggering away from a fight near Pirivi. For 84 years, his whereabouts remained unknown, and his grave at the Bomana War Cemetery in Papua New Guinea was unmarked.
After a two-year investigation by the Australian Army's Unrecovered War Casualties team, researchers and Lieutenant Crawford's family have received confirmation that an Unknown Soldier grave at Bomana is his. Kokoda historian Carl Johnson had been a leading advocate for the official verification of the remains, highlighting Lieutenant Crawford's significance as the last member of the lead battalion to be officially listed as missing.
Lieutenant Crawford's granddaughter, Natasha Read, expressed relief and pride following the identification. "Keeping his memory alive meant the world," she told 7News. "We're extremely proud of him, for the legacy that he's left."
A new headstone will be installed at the Bomana War Cemetery to ensure Lieutenant Crawford is remembered by name.
In a separate identification, the Unrecovered War Casualties unit also confirmed the remains of Private Archibald "Blue" Hanley, who died during the First World War in the Battle of Amiens near Villers-Bretonneux, France, in 1918. An Unknown Australian Soldier buried at Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery has been identified as Private Hanley.
Veterans Affairs Minister Matt Keogh commended the efforts of the Army's Unrecovered War Casualties team, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, and the Office of Australian War Graves. He stated that the identifications honor the soldiers' ultimate sacrifice and ensure they are remembered by name. Chief of Army, Lieutenant General Susan Coyle AM, echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the ongoing commitment to account for missing service members, regardless of the time passed. "These identifications provide long-awaited answers for their families and ensure both men will be remembered not as unknown soldiers but by name, rank and unit," she said.